ENVIRONMENT officials have backed down and allowed a pensioner to carry on generating electricity using water turbines he built over 30 years ago.

Tudor Roberts, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, placed turbines in the River Bowydd in 1975 and has used them to generate electricity for his Isla Bryn property ever since.

The 2.5 kilowatts produced by the river also lights up five street lamps for neighbouring properties in Brynbowydd – a private road – and land owned by Mr Roberts and his wife Mary.

Environment Agency officials got wind of Mr Roberts’ scheme three weeks ago and told him he would have to take the turbines down.

However, the 82-year-old received support from villagers, Elfyn Llwyd MP and councillors.

Following an investigation the Environment Agency has decided the filter, pipes, generator and cables he uses are of no detriment to the area.

A delighted Mr Roberts told the Herald how relieved he was to be able to carry on using the river to light his workshop, parts of his house and the street.

He said: “I’m so pleased, I actually do more good than harm to the river because I’m always cleaning it. There are no fish in there and I’ve never done any damage to the environment.

“We’re old-fashioned but in many ways I guess we were way ahead of our time because everyone is now going on about reducing their carbon footprint – we’ve been doing it for 32 years.”

Mr Roberts added: “The neighbours have never had a problem, in fact they love the fact I light up the street.”

Mr Roberts made the decision to generate power from the river after he and son David built their Brynbowydd bungalow in the early 1970s.

He and his wife, who have been married since 1946, lived in a neighbouring house but as their daughter was disabled they couldn’t carry her up and down the stairs and needed to move to a ground-level property.

As the land was private there was no electricity so he made his own.

The former firefighter and welder enlisted the help of friends, and began laying six-inch pipes in the water and connecting them to a turbine house beside the river.

He then laid underground cables between the turbine house and his home 150 yards away. These same cables and pipes are still there today and have never needed to be replaced.

“There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears but it was worth it,” said Mr Roberts.

Blaenau councillor Gwilym Euros Roberts supported Mr Roberts’ appeal.

He said: “Mr Roberts had used the river to generate electricity for his home for over 30 years. He should be congratulated.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We have looked at this hydro-electric scheme to make sure that it doesn't have a negative effect on the quality and level of the water.

“While the scheme took slightly more than the limit for a licence, it was not harming the local river.

As long as this is the case, we are happy to allow Mr Roberts to continue.”